How remiss of me not to retell the tale of leaving Singapore. I had a private driver booked and despite Tricia calling them the day before and me nagging in her ear, I had a feeling he wouldn't turn up as requested and indeed he did not. The company had argued about the pick up time and Tricia was equally adamant that I wanted to shop at the airport. I guess the customer is never right.
I gave up waiting for the driver and caught a cab and made it through check in with less than an hour until boarding. I was mightily ticked off as I had a list from the "girls" about the shoes and handbags required from Charles and Keith.
I think I resembled a "Grab a shopping trolley" competition winner. I flew through that concourse looking for the shop of dreams. Roughly 30 minutes later I had purchased 7 handbags and 3 pairs of shoes. Boys and girls the duty free Charles and Keith is the fachizzle.
A small problem arose as I already had 2 large carry on bags that were heavy and unwieldy. Add to that 4 very large bags containing the shoes, handbags and M&Ms Anita had said were worth buying.
A small trolley later and I made it to the boarding gate with a few minutes to spare but had to go through another security point, now laden with 6 large bags and unable to take the trolley.
No one helped!!!
I had to go through in stages and come back to collect the bags. I looked like a drug mule as I was sweating, anxious and unsteady on my feet.
When we were called to board I was dead. Several people had asked if I had a business and was on selling. No joke.
Flight attendants are not there to assist passengers. Please disabuse yourself of this notion immediately. I did get a laugh when I announced loudly that under no circumstances should parents ever agree to go shopping for their daughters and daughter in law.
Eventually an older Pakistani man came to my rescue and as we were struggling up to the plane he took a couple of bags. "You realise they will think that I am the one who has too much luggage and they will send me back to check in my bags," he laughed.
On the plane I had the audacity to ask a flight attendant to assist. It nearly bought the airline to a halt. Singapore airlines are not equipped to assist. In the end it took 3 attendants and 4 overhead lockers to house the bags. Awesome. I had them queuing in the aisles because no one could get past.
Now dear friends I can see the permeatations of your minds; how will I get the stuff off and through customs?
I lovely gruff Aussie block helped me to the customs point and then I had to do the bag relay again. Once again I was hot, sweaty and looking really guilty.
In the luggage hall I secured 2 trollies. Not a problem until I realised that the handles lock unless you push them down and that getting 2 trollies through a narrow aisle for baggage examination just doesn't work. I am proud to say that I held up about 100 passengers as the trollies locked wheels, until a lady behind me could stand it no longer. She put her bag on one of my trollies and wheeled her way through the traffic jam with me. Bless. I don't think I was seeing the funny side at that point but it really was worth it.
Then into the loving arms of Anita, Graham and Lilly-Jay who looked a little reluctant to claim me. You gotta do what you gotta do.
Hello whanau. Hello Perth.
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